Putting a property of prestigious quality and incomparable rarity – like Terreno Hillside – into words is no easy task.
For Luigi Rosselli, the architect behind Terreno , his native Italian was the only way to describe the newly completed six-bedroom, seven-bathroom, four-car-garage free-standing house in Sydney’s coveted Vaucluse,
“There’s a phrase in Italian, ‘in cima’ that means ‘on top’, or ‘at the summit of’, and that’s what it feels like being in Terreno ,” Rosselli says.
The summit that he is referring to is two-pronged. There is, most prominently, Terreno ’s lofty position that affords it some of Sydney’s most picturesque views of the city’s celebrated structures and glistening waters.
There’s also the fastidiously detailed design work and construction that further elevates the property beyond the expectations of prestige buyers.
“It’s iconic Sydney,” says Eddie Mansour, managing partner at Ray White Projects. “There are nearly uninterrupted views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House from every level – it’s a permanent postcard.”
Rosselli’s role was to use his architectural nous to make the most of Terreno ’s position and frame the views of Sydney Harbour.
“We didn’t have to point towards the best element of the view and the city,” he says, “but if you want to zoom into the best part of the view, you need columns, and we’ve done that with very powerful columns of rammed earth to form a picture of the harbour.”
The views of the harbour and its elevated location were what drew developer Tal Silberman of Moshav Financial to the site when it was first acquired in 2018. So too was the opportunity to bring something unique to market: a gated set of four luxurious residences, of which Terreno is the largest, complete and furnished.
“I don’t know any project that has brought to market a completely turnkey property of this quality,” Silberman says. “I delivered Terreno so that buyers were able to walk in and be blown away.”
Silberman and Rosselli retained complete control of their vision for a classical, Mediterranean-styled home that has been built to last and age gracefully. This is evident not only in the scale of Terreno , but also in the choice of materials and the generosity of how they are used. A return to classicism is something that Mansour has noticed in the prime pockets of Sydney’s east.
“There’s been a shift back to homes that have what I call emotional warmth and heart,” he says. “ Terreno ’s curvature and materials are classic, but are in keeping with the local surrounds. It makes a statement, it’s got presence, it’s a trophy residence.”
The warmth comes from Rosselli’s rammed earth structures and the room’s proportions that prize different views of the harbour or Bondi from nearly every room.
It’s also a credit to the interiors by Handelsmann + Khaw, which has seamlessly blended myriad textures, including limestone flooring, green maestro quartzite in the powder rooms, Carrara marble in the bathrooms and pink Havana dolomite in the sky-suite en suite.
The kitchen features Gaggenau appliances and a rare Italian calacatta Monet benchtop and opens directly onto the outdoor space – with a pergola supported by the rammed-earth columns, that gives access to the pool and views to the harbour.
The gardens by Dangar Barin Smith feature bougainvillea – a further nod to Rosselli’s vision for a Mediterranean villa in Vaucluse – along with landscaping that will establish itself as the rest of the development ages.
The location, design and materiality all add to Terreno ’s sense of permanence and timelessness. It’s something that Silberman and Mansour both think the market will immediately recognise.
“[With] two primary bedroom suites through the residence, [and its] various living and dining areas through the property, I can visualise a family that has multiple generations living here,” Mansour says.
Silberman adds, “All of the elements of the facade, from the ceramic tiles to the rammed earth construction, copper roofing and terracotta louvres, are designed to get better with age.
“ Terreno will outlive me and last many generations, but it has to look beautiful doing it. I’m hoping that it gets passed through from generation to generation.”
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